U.S. patent number 7,286,116 [Application Number 10/812,208] was granted by the patent office on 2007-10-23 for keyboard module.
This patent grant is currently assigned to High Tech Computer Corp.. Invention is credited to Peter Chou, Sheng-Ming Liu.
United States Patent |
7,286,116 |
Chou , et al. |
October 23, 2007 |
Keyboard module
Abstract
A keyboard module (300) includes a printed circuit board (302),
a Qwerty keyboard (304) mounted on the printed circuit board. A
plurality of application buttons (308) mounted on the printed
circuit board and located within the Qwerty keyboard, and a
navigator button (306) mounted on the printed circuit board and
located also within the Qwerty keyboard. The navigator button has
four direction buttons (316a, 316b, 316c, 316d) each having a
profile higher than that of keys of the Qwerty keyboard. Each of
four keys of the Qwerty keyboard neighboring the navigator button
is located between two neighboring direction buttons of the
navigator button.
Inventors: |
Chou; Peter (Taoyuan,
TW), Liu; Sheng-Ming (Junghe, TW) |
Assignee: |
High Tech Computer Corp.
(Taoyuan, TW)
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Family
ID: |
34390635 |
Appl.
No.: |
10/812,208 |
Filed: |
March 29, 2004 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20050099394 A1 |
May 12, 2005 |
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Foreign Application Priority Data
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Nov 10, 2003 [TW] |
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92219905 U |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
345/168;
345/169 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F
3/0202 (20130101); G06F 3/0213 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G06F
3/02 (20060101); G09G 5/00 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;345/156,157,168,169
;341/20,22 ;D14/333,338,346 ;361/680 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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10045886 |
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Mar 2002 |
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DE |
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WO03056784 |
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Jul 2003 |
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WO |
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WO 03/087973 |
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Oct 2003 |
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WO |
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Primary Examiner: Osorio; Ricardo
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Thomas, Kayden, Horstemeyer &
Risley
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A keyboard module comprising: a carrier device; a keyboard for
entering text message, the keyboard being mounted on the carrier
device and including a plurality of keys arranged as a rectangular
array, and a plurality of intersection regions disposed
therebetween; and a navigator button mounted on the carrier device
and located within the keys of the keyboard, wherein the navigator
button is disposed at one of the intersection regions, wherein the
navigator button has a cross-shaped configuration with four
direction buttons at four extremities of the navigator button,
respectively, and the keys of the keyboard have four keys each
being located between two neighboring direction buttons.
2. The keyboard module as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one
of the direction buttons has a profile higher than that of the keys
of the keyboard.
3. The keyboard module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the navigator
button further has an action button, and the action button being
located at a center of the navigator button.
4. The keyboard module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carrier
device is a printed circuit board.
5. The keyboard module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the direction
buttons are integrally connected together.
6. The keyboard module as claimed in claim 5 further comprising a
plurality of application buttons located within the keys of the
keyboard.
7. The keyboard module as claimed in claim 5 further comprising a
plurality of application buttons located outside and at a top of
the keys of the keyboard.
8. The keyboard module as claimed in claim 7, wherein the direction
buttons have a profile higher than that of the keys of the
keyboard.
9. The keyboard module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the direction
buttons are separated from each other.
10. The keyboard module as claimed in claim 9 further comprising a
plurality of application buttons located within the keys of the
keyboard.
11. The keyboard module as claimed in claim 9 further comprising a
plurality of application buttons located outside and at a top of
the keys of the keyboard.
12. The keyboard module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the keyboard
for entering text message is a Qwerty keyboard.
13. A handheld electronic device comprising: a housing; a display
located at an upper portion of the housing and a keyboard module
located at a lower portion of the housing, the keyboard module
comprising a Qwerty keyboard and a navigator button located within
the Qwerty keyboard, the Qwerty keyboard including a plurality of
keys arranged as a matrix and a plurality of intersection regions
disposed therebetween, wherein the navigator button has a
cross-shaped configuration with four direction buttons at four
extremities of the navigator button, respectively, and the keys of
the keyboard have four keys each being located between two
neighboring direction buttons.
14. The handheld electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 13
further comprising application buttons located within the Qwerty
keyboard.
15. The handheld electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 13,
wherein the direction buttons are integrally connected
together.
16. The handheld electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 13,
wherein the direction buttons are separated from each other.
17. The handheld electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 13
further comprising application buttons located between the Qwerty
keyboard and the display.
18. The handheld electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 13,
wherein the direction buttons are integrally connected
together.
19. The handheld electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 13,
wherein the direction buttons are separated from each other.
20. The handheld electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 13,
wherein the navigator button has a profile higher than that of keys
the Qwerty keyboard.
Description
This application claims the benefit of Taiwan application Serial
No. 092219905, filed Nov. 10, 2003, the subject matter of which is
incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
1. Field of the Present Invention
The present invention relates in general to an input apparatus, and
more particularly to a keyboard module for a handheld electronic
apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
High efficiency and convenience are what people are seeking mostly
nowadays. Handheld electronic apparatus such as Personal Digital
Assistant (PDA) and smart phone becomes essential item in briefcase
for businessmen.
The handheld electronic apparatus enables users to access their
personal address book and schedule for meetings and appointments.
Moreover, with the aid of wireless connection network, users could
quickly and freely access the network to obtain the latest news and
other information.
In order to enable the user of the handheld electronic apparatus to
easily manipulate the apparatus and write text messages, the
handheld electronic apparatus is generally equipped with a keyboard
module including a navigator button, four application buttons and a
Qwerty keyboard.
FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a conventional keyboard module
100, which mainly includes a carrier device such as a printed
circuit board 102, a Qwerty keyboard 104, a navigator button 106,
and four application buttons 108. The keyboard 104 and the buttons
106, 108 are mounted on the printed circuit board 102. The Qwerty
keyboard 104 is used for enabling the user to conveniently input a
text message to the apparatus. The application buttons 108 are used
for enabling the user to directly access specific application
software of the apparatus, which usually is PIM (personal
information management) software, like calendar, schedule, contact
and e-mail. The navigator button 106 is used for enabling the user
to quickly move a cursor on a display of the apparatus, or scroll
vertically and horizontally a screen on the display of the
apparatus.
The navigator button 106 is located between the application buttons
108, and the Qwerty keyboard 102 is located below the navigator
button 106 and the application buttons 108.
Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a
conventional PDA and FIG. 2B is a top plain view of FIG. 2A. The
conventional PDA 210 includes a housing 212. An LCD display 214 is
mounted in an upper portion of the housing 212. A keyboard module
(not labeled) is mounted in a lower portion of the housing 212. The
keyboard module includes a navigator button 206 and four
application buttons 208 just below the LCD display 214. A Qwerty
keyboard 204 is located below the navigator button 206 and the
application buttons 208. The navigator button 206 is located
between the application buttons 208 so that two application buttons
are located at a lateral side of the navigator button while the
other two application buttons are located at an opposite lateral
side of the navigator button 206.
In general, the Qwerty keyboard 204, navigator button 206 and
application buttons 208 are mounted on a circuit board (not shown)
in the housing 212. The buttons 206, 208 and keys of the keyboard
204 each have an upper portion protruding upwardly beyond the
housing 212 so that the user can user his thumbs to depress the
keys of the keyboard 204 and buttons 206, 208 to enter required
function and information.
Easy usage and carriage are the basic principle and requirements of
the design of the PDA 210. Designs with over-size and over-weight
go against the principles of being light, thin, short and small.
The conventional keyboard module of the PDA 210 mentioned above is
actually big in size. Therefore, using the conventional keyboard
module in the PDA 210 makes it difficult to reduce the size of the
PDA 210, which results in the inconvenience in usage and carriage
for the user.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide a
keyboard module, used not only for reducing the size of the
keyboard module efficiently, but also for providing with the
smaller size, light and handy of the handheld electronic apparatus
collocated with keyboard module.
In order to achieve the foregoing objectives, the present invention
provides a keyboard module. The keyboard module includes a carrier
device such as a printed circuit board, a Qwerty keyboard, a
navigator button and four application buttons. The buttons and the
keyboard are mounted on the carrier device. The navigator button is
located within the Qwerty keyboard to thereby reduce the overall
size of the keyboard module. The navigator button is configured
having a cross-shaped configuration with four direction buttons at
four extremities of the navigator button, respectively, and an
action button at a center thereof. The Qwerty keyboard has four
keys each being located between two neighboring direction buttons
of the navigator button. Each of the direction buttons has a
profile higher than that of the keys of the keyboard so that an
operation of the navigator button does not interfere with the
operation of the keys of the Qwerty keyboard. In a first
embodiment, the direction buttons are integrally connected together
and the application buttons are also located within the Qwerty
keyboard. In a second embodiment, the direction buttons are
integrally connected together and the application buttons are
located outside and at a top of the Qwerty keyboard. In a third
embodiment, the direction buttons are separated from each other,
and the application buttons may be located within or outside the
Qwerty keyboard.
The present invention further provides a handheld electronic
apparatus includes a housing, a display mounted on an upper portion
of the apparatus, and a keyboard module mounted on the housing
below the display. The keyboard module is constructed in accordance
with one of the three embodiments of the present invention as
mentioned above.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention
will become apparent from the following detailed description of the
preferred but non-limiting embodiments. The following description
is made with reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional keyboard module.
FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a conventional Personal Digital
Assistant.
FIG. 2B is a top plain view of the Personal Digital Assistant of
FIG. 2A.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a keyboard module in accordance
with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4A is a perspective view of a handheld electronic apparatus
incorporating a keyboard module similar to the first preferred
embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4B is the top plain view of the handheld electronic apparatus
of FIG. 4A.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a keyboard module according to a
second preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6A is a perspective view of a handheld electronic apparatus
incorporating the keyboard module similar to the second preferred
embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6B is a top plain view of the handheld electronic apparatus of
FIG. 6A.
FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary top plain view of a keyboard
module according to a third embodiment of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
This invention is described by taking preferred embodiments as
examples. However, the scope of the present invention is not
limited to the examples. Herein, keyboard modules and handheld
electronic apparatus are taken as examples to illustrate the spirit
of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is
defined by the appended claims.
Referring to FIG. 3, a perspective view of a keyboard module 300 in
accordance a first embodiment of the present invention is
illustrated. The keyboard module 300 mainly includes a carrier
device which in this preferred embodiment is a printed circuit
board 302, a keyboard 304 for text message writing, a navigator
button 306 and four application buttons 308. The keyboard 304, the
navigator button 306 and the four application buttons 308 are
mounted on the printed circuit board 302. The keyboard 304 includes
many keys and many intersection regions. Keys are arranged as an
array, and intersection regions are located between keys. The
keyboard 304 in this preferred embodiment of the present invention
is a Qwerty keyboard. Other types of keyboard, which can be used to
facilitate text message input is also within the scope of the
present invention.
The navigator button 306 in accordance with the present invention
has a cross-shaped configuration, and each of the application
buttons 308 has an oblong configuration. The navigator button 306
and the application buttons 308 are all located within the Qwerty
keyboard 304. The navigator button 306 includes four direction
buttons 316a, 316b, 316c, 316d and an action button 318. The
navigator button 306 is disposed at one of intersection regions of
the keyboard 304. The direction buttons 316a, 316b, 316c, 316d are
used for moving a cursor on a display of a handheld electronic
apparatus to a desired position or scrolling a screen on the
display upwardly/downwardly/leftwards/rightwards. The action button
318 when depressed activates a function of an icon pointed by the
cursor. The direction buttons 316a, 316b, 316c, 316d are located at
four extremities and the action button 318 is located at a center
of the navigator button 306, while the navigator button 306 is
located substantially at a center of the printed circuit board 302.
Two application buttons 308 are located at a right side of the
right direction button 316d while the other two application buttons
308 are located at a left side of the left direction button 316c.
The application buttons 308 and the navigator button 306 divide the
Qwerty keyboard 304 into an upper half and a lower half.
To prevent the user from erroneously depressing a key of the
keyboard 304 neighboring the navigator button 306 when he (she)
intends to depress one of the direction buttons 316a-316d, the
direction buttons 316a-316d are configured to have a profile higher
than that of the keys of the Qwerty keyboard 304, and four keys of
the keyboard 304 near the navigator button 306 are so arranged that
each of them is located between two neighboring direction
buttons.
By the above-mentioned design of the keyboard module 300 in
accordance with the present invention, users can easily press the
direction buttons 316a, 316b, 316c, and 316d, and action button 318
of the navigator button 306 without the danger to mis-press the
Qwerty keyboard 304.
Referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B, FIG. 4A is a perspective view of a
handheld electronic apparatus 410 having a keyboard module similar
to the keyboard module of FIG. 3 and FIG. 4B. is a top plain view
of the handheld electronic apparatus of FIG. 4A.
The handheld electronic apparatus 410 in the shown example is a
PDA. However, it is understood by those skilled in the art that the
handheld electronic apparatus 410 is not limited to a PDA; it can
be other handheld device, such as mobile phone, smart phone,
notebook, tablet computer, or electronic dictionary console. The
handheld electronic apparatus 410 includes a housing 412, an LCD
display 414 mounted in an upper portion of the housing 412, and a
keyboard module (not labeled) mounted in a lower portion of the
housing 412 just below the display 414. The keyboard module has a
printed circuit board (not shown) received in the housing 412, a
Qwerty keyboard 404, four application buttons 408 and a navigator
button 406. The keyboard 404 and the buttons 406, 408 are mounted
on the printed circuit board, and protrude upward through an upper
cover (not labeled) of the housing 412. The keyboard module in the
handheld electronic apparatus has a structure the same as that of
the keyboard module 300 of FIG. 3.
The size of the above-mentioned keyboard module of the present
invention is smaller than the conventional keyboard module of FIG.
1 because the navigator buttons 406 and application buttons 408 are
now located within the keys of the Qwerty keyboard 404. Therefore,
the overall size of the handheld electronic apparatus 410 can be
reduced. Or if the overall size of the handheld electronic
apparatus is not to be reduced, the size of the LCD display 414 can
be enlarged. A large LCD display is more and more important for a
handheld electronic apparatus.
Referring to FIG. 5, a keyboard module 500 according to a second
preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. This
keyboard module 500 mainly includes a printed circuit board 502, a
Qwerty keyboard 504, a navigator button 506 and four application
buttons 508. The keyboard 504 and the buttons 506, 508 are mounted
on the printed circuit board 502.
The keyboard 504 and the navigator button 506 have configuration
and are arranged in a manner similar to the first embodiment of
FIG. 3. The navigator button 506, like the navigator button 306 of
the first embodiment, has four direction buttons 516a, 516b, 516c,
516d at four extremities thereof, respectively, and an action
button 518 at a center thereof.
In this embodiment, the application buttons 508 are located outside
and at a top of the Qwerty board 504, rather than in the Qwerty
board like the first embodiment.
Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, FIG. 6A shows a perspective view of a
handheld electronic apparatus 610 incorporating a keyboard module
similar to that of FIG. 5. FIG. 6B is a top plain view of FIG. 6A.
The handheld electronic apparatus 610 has a housing 612, an LCD
display 614, and a keyboard module (not labeled). The display 614
is mounted at an upper portion of the housing 612. The keyboard
module is mounted at a lower portion of the housing 612. The
keyboard module has a Qwerty keyboard 604, a navigator button 606
and four application buttons 608. The four application buttons 608
are located between the LCD display 614 and the Qwerty keyboard
604.
In the previous embodiments, the direction buttons 316a-d, 516a-d
of the navigator buttons 306, 506 are formed as integrally
connected together. However, the direction buttons can also be
formed as separated from each other. As illustrating in FIG. 7, a
keyboard module (not labeled) in accordance with a third embodiment
of the present invention is shown. The keyboard module has a
printed circuit board (not labeled), a Qwerty keyboard 704 and a
navigator button (not labeled). The navigator button has four
direction buttons 716a, 716b, 716c, and 716d and an action button
718 formed independently. The navigator button also has a
cross-shaped configuration. The direction buttons 716a-716d are
located at four extremities of the navigator button, while the
action button 718 is located at a center thereof. The keyboard
module may further include application buttons (not shown) arranged
on the printed circuit board like that of the embodiment of FIG. 3
or FIG. 5.
While the present invention has been described by way of example
and in terms of several preferred embodiments, it is to be
understood that the present invention is not limited thereto. On
the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and
similar arrangements and procedures, and the scope of the appended
claims therefore should be accorded the broadest interpretation so
as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements and
procedures.
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